I started doing research to prove my point and there's plenty out there. In the last 5 years ESPN, Rivals, and Scout have never ranked less than 6 total SEC teams in the top 25 of National signing day classes. In 2009 all 3 media outlets had 10 of the 12 SEC schools recruiting classes ranked in the top 25. This year all 3 outlets have 9 schools ranked.
It's obvious that hitting the recruiting trail pays off. The SEC has won 5 straight BCS championships (no college conference has ever won more than 3 straight college football national championships). Also interesting to note is that 4 different schools have won these five titles (Florida won in '06 and '08). The SEC has won 6 of the last 8 titles and 7 total since the BCS began 12 years ago. As a conference its teams are 7-0 in championship games.
Even in this weekends Super Bowl the SEC reigns supreme with 19 players on the active rosters of the Packers and the Steelers. It would've been 20 if Maurkice Pouncey hadn't been ruled out due to injury.
So why the dominance?...because the SEC schools across the board, do the best job of recruiting those rare athletes that have both great size and blazing speed. Any coach knows this is a winning combination. Now there are a few schools nationally like a Texas or Southern Cal who do this consistently, but no CONFERENCE even comes close to the SEC from top to bottom in recruiting big, fast athletes.
Now for all you Big 10 fans out there, Ohio State is a great program but a step slow for the SEC (see Florida and LSU 2006-2007 title games). Now I know the Buckeyes finally snapped their SEC losing streak in this year's Sugar Bowl against Arkansas, but they're still 1-9 all time in bowl games vs. SEC. And for all you PAC-10 fans Oregon had the speed this year but was outweighed 40 pounds PER lineman on the O and D lines... and was worn down.
So I repeat my premise, statistics don't lie. After accumulating another dominate recruiting class, the SEC is college football royalty and all other conferences are gonna have to try very hard to dethrone the king.
Hey Courtney, don't forget about the ACC.We've been a little down, but we're coming back.4 top 25 recruiting classes with my Florida State at No.1 . Seminoles DO have the size and speed to compete with SEC,and I predict will win BCS. This is our year!
ReplyDeleteBeing a proud Virginian, I am REALLY excited about coach London at THE UNIVIRSITY OF VIRGINIA.We were down for years under Al Groh and for a long while have played second fiddle to Va.Tech in the state. But all that is changing as UVA collared the 19th best recruiting class in the Country, finishing well ahead of TECH for the first time in a long while. We are on our way. GO HOOS!
ReplyDeleteThe "SOUTH" definately has the best athletes, hands down. I have to pull for the ACC (guess what that's about) but the SEC is always a contender. You know what it is, Court? It's that Coca-cola that we put in the baby bottles down here.
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